Returning to the kitchen
Today is the first time in almost 2 years that I have felt so inspired that I am returning to my Chef Halie blog. Although I am no longer a chef I have still been cooking and creating over the past years. I now belong to a great CSA here in Carmel, WE Cooperative, and am loving using all the veggies and fruit that come every week. This is a new way to cook that I had not truly appreciated until now.
My most recent inspiration though, has come from my new friend Melissa. If there was anyone who could inspire you to use every last piece of your CSA box each week it would be this woman. An enthusiastic gardener, forager, cook, and aspiring hooch making queen, her excitement about food has excited me to get back into the swing of things here and find new kitchen adventures.
So... I hope to share with you all again my new receipes and adventures.
Hope you enjoy!
Huckleberry Foraging
Today I went foraging... Not out in the country or on a mountain side, but right here in Pacific Grove, CA. Now I have been berry picking before, but almost always at a farm and paying for the privilege of picking my own food. Today Melissa and I trapesed out into the bushes of this urban forest, wearing sneakers and long pants and sleeves, the appropriate berry picking clothes. These tiny berries peaked out from the hundreds of bushes and we picked and picked and, did I mention we picked? Our little buckets filling up with the sweet sometimes tart berries reminded me of "Blueberries For Sal" as they plunked in. While this adventure took hours to collect a modest amount, Melissa and I chatted and improved our health with fresh air and slow thoughtful searching of Huckleberries.
This whole process has made me appreciate each berry in a way that I may never have done before.
Now the task will be finding the perfect receipe for these little treasures. I've thought of a tart, if I can find the bottom for my pan, or jam?
